Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Only Lovers Left Alive (2014)

This is topic Only Lovers Left Alive (2014) in forum Film Handlers' Movie Reviews at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Mark Ogden (Member # 43) on 05-11-2014, 12:20 PM:

Fed up with immortality, a vampire musician must deal with his more upbeat wife, her rambunctious sister, musical piracy, and a dwindling supply of uncontaminated blood. As seen at the Century Regency Cinemas, San Rafael, CA.

*****

This is a fine, restrained and mostly bloodless film for those fed up with the gore and guts of typical vampire fare. With a lot of great acting and droll humor, the film looks at the existential problems faced by a vampire couple living in what’s left of Detroit. He doesn’t see much reason to go on any longer apart from collecting rare guitars, while she is still enjoying the dark side of un-life. They are both on the lookout for pure blood, which is apparently hard to come by. It’s a pretty slow-paced and scare-free picture, but it is so beautifully made and well acted that is never is less than watchable. Killer soundtrack too. A familiarity with 16th century author Christopher Marlowe (still alive as the movie begins) and the rumors about he and Shakespeare will be helpful to viewers.

Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 05-12-2014, 03:59 PM:

It wasn't to my taste. Let's put it that way.

Posted by Martin McCaffery (Member # 37) on 05-12-2014, 05:02 PM:

quote: Mark Ogden
It’s a pretty slow-paced

Slow-paced and Jim Jarmusch movie is redundant [Wink]

Posted by Sam Graham (Member # 2889) on 06-12-2014, 04:11 PM:

CINEMA: 13th Avenue Warren, Wichita, KS
AUDITORIUM: 10
PRESENTATION: Dolby Digital Cinema/THX
PRESENTATION PROBLEMS: Fat old man three seats down alternating between coughing and snoring
RATING: Two stars (out of four)

THE PLOT: Ya gotta drink your blood in Detroit Rock City. Wackiness ensues.

Your ability to like this movie will depend on your interest in the conversation. Because most of the movie is moping around while talking and the characters putting themselves in ancient references. Until the sister comes along and picks the pace up a bit. Oh, and that title? Exclusively tied to the final scene. Like two minutes of the movie.

On the plus side, there's lots of cool old guitars, and so many gratuitous shots of a Revox reel-to-reel deck that I almost wonder if Revox paid for product placement.